"Let's start the investigation," Ryu said, his voice calm, yet carrying a heavy finality.
Ryu and Leo stood on the hill, witnessing the destructive scenario unfolding below. The Green Goblin village was a war zone—burning huts, shattered barricades, and the unstoppable tide of purple goblin zombies, their movements erratic and driven by pure poison rage.
Suddenly, a group of mercenaries broke away from the main horde, attacking a hidden hut sheltering women and children. The purple soldiers were merciless; they slapped women and kicked children who tried to escape.
When one hulking purple soldier raised his jagged dagger to execute a terrified young goblin boy, a blur of motion struck.
SCHWING!
The soldier's wrist, cleanly severed, dropped to the blood-soaked ground, dagger still clutched in the dead hand.
It was Ryu, his Dragon Fang Katana drawn and humming, framed by the chaos.
"Leo," Ryu commanded, his voice tight with controlled fury. "Take all the refugees to the safe spot near the eastern river. I will handle the horde."
Leo hesitated, his hand tightening on his greatsword hilt. "There are hundreds of them, Ryu. We fight together!"
Ryu didn't look back. His eyes were already locked on the enemy. "I am not a normal person, Leo. I am Prince Ryu Drakheart. Now go!"
With a guttural roar, Ryu's aura flared. A deep, abyssal black energy—the Dark Dragon's Aura—erupted from his body.
CRACKLE!
A bolt of black lightning shot from his sword and struck the troop of purple goblins rushing his position. They didn't just fall; the raw, corrupting energy obliterated them, leaving nothing but dust and sizzling earth. A troop was eliminated in one terrifying strike.
Leo's eyes widened, recognizing the devastating power for the first time. He nodded sharply. "Be careful, brother." He turned and sprinted toward the refugees.
The Oath of the Unburdened
College Days
The vision of the fleeing children pulled on a buried memory. Back in past life when he was Qujiro, he had been a student in a vast, indifferent college. He often witnessed bullying—young men forming groups to tease and torment freshers and the weak. He never paid attention, focused only on himself.
One day, at a busy bus stop, a boy sprinted past him. The boy, running blindly in terror, intentionally threw himself in front of an incoming truck. The impact was sickening; the boy flew back and hit a barricade, blood pooling beneath him.
Ryu's mind went blank. When he finally forced himself closer, he recognized the face—it was the boy everyone bullied in his college, the one he had seen struggling every day. Ryu hadn't tried to help him. He had just stood stunned.
Present
The regret fueled the prince's steps now, turning his shame into resolve. The Dark Dragon's Aura felt cold, yet it burned away his guilt.
**"If I can save anyone, I will,"** he roared, launching himself into the tide of the corrupted, his sword becoming a black streak of death.
Aftermath
Ryu fought alone for what felt like an eternity. He moved like a force of nature, his skill combining with the primal power of the Dragon's Aura. Purple goblins fell by the dozens, their poison claws and blades unable to touch the black lightning storm surrounding him.
When the last zombie dissolved into smoke, the battlefield fell silent again.
Leo returned quickly, guided by the sudden absence of fighting. He stepped over the fallen bodies, looking for his brother, and saw the destructive scenario: hundreds of enemies defeated, the earth scorched, and the air heavy with ozone. He couldn't believe the level of raw power his brother possessed.
Ryu, exhausted, finally lowered his sword. The adrenaline faded, and he pitched forward, collapsing directly onto Leo's waiting shoulder.
Leo grunted under the unexpected weight but secured his brother gently. He carried Ryu back toward the makeshift safe zone.
Once Ryu was resting, Leo began the second part of their mission. He spoke to the remaining elders and the wounded Green Goblin soldiers, asking about the nature of the attack, the ice magic, and the location of their Warlord, Gargi.
He was shocked when the elders didn't just describe the battle, but began telling him the ancient, hidden history of the Goblins—a history that involved humans, dragons, and old oaths.
To be continued…